The light beneath her door at night
by Sinistrocity
Summary: An AU in which Elizabeth develops insomnia and hallucinates in the two years since Asura's defeat.
1. Patricia Thompson

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater**

* * *

Sometimes Patty would wake up in the middle of the night. She would stretch, and lie there in the dark, rethinking the past hour's dreams and nightmares, fight off the bad vibes and scary heartbeats. She would go down for a drink of water, then creep back upstairs. But occasionally she would stop at her sister's door and listen.

There came the gentle tapping of fingers on keys, or a low murmuring as she spoke gently into her phone. Sometimes all Patty could hear were footsteps, getting louder and softer, louder and softer, as Elizabeth paced around the room.

Ever so often she would hear the light switch _click_ and the room go dark, only to be switched back on after only a few seconds, followed by the harsh breathing of Elizabeth as she stumbled back to her desk and into her chair.

* * *

Today, she heard her sister cry.

"Sis, are you okay?" Liz sat up in her chair and swivelled around. Patty could see traces of mascara stain her cheeks like black tears.

"I-" the older trembled, and stood up. She glared.

"I'm fine." She replied, a little stronger. Then after a hesitant pause, she said a little more gently, "Go back to sleep."

But Patty would have none of that.

"I think I can help…" Patty opened the door a little wider and Elizabeth took a step back, her eyes widened in terror. Patty looked back. Although there was light in the hallway there were still corners of complete darkness and shapes obscured in black that Liz could see from her desk. Patty hurridley closed the door, but not before entering her sister's room.

"They're getting worse?" Patty said softly. Her sister nodded in a daze of fright, but suddenly her head cleared and she shook her head vigorously.

"No." she said. "They're not getting worse; they're the same as they were."

"But-"

"Patty, get out." Liz's voice trembled for the second time, her finger outstretched as she pointed to the door. "I'm okay, I can handle this."

"Liz-"

"GET OUT." She almost shouted it, spat it like a curse on her tongue even though she desperately wanted her little sister to stay. But she couldn't, could she? Even if she did, that never stopped the hallucinations. She would only make her sister restless, awake. Tired the next day. And she wouldn't allow that.

Patty walked back to the door, opened it quickly and shut it quietly. Liz sighed, slumping back into the chair. She tried to close her eyes.

"I love you." They snapped back open when Patty's muffled voice sounded through the door. "I love you." She said again, and the pattering of tiny feet faded into a closed door in the room beside hers.

Elizabeth burst into tears the second time that night.

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 **This was going to be in 'Into Madness' but it seemed more appropriate as a short fic on its own. R &R appreciated.**


	2. Death the Kid

Sometimes he would stay up late, watching moonlight spill into the room through a slit between his curtained window. Like a beam of light, it traveled from the bottom of his bed and poured onto the covers, filling his bed with a glowing serenity.

It was elegant, and beautiful. Like everything he knew, and everything he dreamed to be- perfect gaps, perfect angles.

Though sometimes-

Not every night was flawless.

"Shh… It's okay. It's okay Liz." The mansion was big. Quite empty, sometimes.

"No, you're wrong, that won't happen. It won't happen. No- NO-" He winced as a shrill cry sounded in the bedroom next to his.

The walls were paper thin.

"P-please I don't- I didn't do anything." A whimpering cry, muffled through the barrier he leaned against. The cry broke into a sob.

Death the Kid shook his head, trying to forget.

* * *

 _"Elizabeth?" Kid burst into the room, uninvited, walking towards the girl shaking in the corner. Her eyes widened as she recognised his face, and stood immediately, shakily leaning against her desk._

 _"Uh- I'm- fine!" She gave him a trembling smile as she rocked back on her heels. "I'm good!"_

 _Liar._

 _"What're you doing out of bed?" He looked at her demanding an answer._

 _"Oh, I-" her smile stretched into a manic grin and her eyes widened- only then did he notice they were bloodshot. "Couldn't sleep."_

 _"You're not okay." He stared at her for a moment before reaching out to grab her hand. She recoiled ferociously and backed herself into the corner even more._

 _"No no no no no." She laughed nervously again. "No. Just let me stay. Here."_

 _He looked at her in shock. She wasn't like this in the morning, no, not at all. She was just plain old, Elizabeth Thompson, who woke up at 7:30 in the morning to do her hair, and at 8:00 to brush her teeth and choose an outfit. Coming late to breakfast because sometimes her socks didn't match her pants, or because her casual hat didn't look good with her jacket. She specifically made unsymmetrical pancakes to annoy him, and laughed when he snapped at her for it._

 _Elizabeth Thompson, ordinary girl; the girl with a sister; the twin; the pistol; the 'demon'; his acquaintance; his assistant; his weapon; his partner; his - friend._

 _"W-What're you looking at?" His broke out of his thoughts as she called out to him. It was still dark. The moon's luminescent beams started to fade as the clouds overhead began to cover it and as they did the clock struck 3 in the morning, on a Friday._

 _"Go sleep, Kid." the shakiness in her voice subsided. "You're tired." her voice slurred._

 _Nope._

 _Didn't sleep that night either._

* * *

Death the Kid didn't sleep at all, after that.

Maybe it was because she haunted his dreams after the incident. Her srtange smile, the dark circles under her eyes. The shaky grin, the trembling posture.

Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth Thompson.

Tall, blonde, beautiful. That was who she was, but…

The girl he saw that night was no friend of his. That was Asura's creation.

He was the problem. He, even after his destruction still caused disturbance after the battle. Still caused trouble, still wreaked havoc, digging his fingers into her mind, breaking her down so she would never, ever forget him.

"Don't- Stop, go away." He clenched his fists as her voice broke into a high pitched wail.

"No, no I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" Kid stood, his whole body trembling in anger.

But why Elizabeth?

"Sh… Shh someone's gonna hear." He opened the door.

"Be quiet, be quiet. It's okay, it's okay." He turned to his left. Her room was smaller, and messier. He didn't like it very much. Always told her to tidy up.

"They're gonna hear, they're gonna-" She stopped murmuring as he swung the door open.

"Eli- Liz." He swallowed.

She was a mess, kneeling on the ground. Her hair was in knots, and her skin sick and pale, dark rings made up of sleepless nights circling her eyes. She looked up at him and smiled.

Yesterday her smile lit up his gloomy, 'unsymmetrical' day - and only a few hours before bed it made his chest rise and fall a little faster.

At this very moment it seemed to break his heart.

"Last night, I-" he turned away, slightly embarrassed. "I heard Patty come into your room." She sighed.

"It's nothing." her smile faded into a frown. "She just came to say, _hello_." Her voice cracked at the last word, and her chest heaved. Liz turned her head away.

There were only two people in this room, but to Elizabeth there were forty-three others.

That was- a problem.

Kid walked over to Elizabeth and sat beside her. She sighed again and curled into a ball, her arms wrapped around her knees, facing away from him.

"Liz, I'm right here." he said, voice rising. "It's okay, I'm right here," he reached a hand towards her, albeit a little hesitantly. "I'm right here, for you, if-"

"You need me?" She finished the sentence for him with a whisper.

Although Kid couldn't see it, Liz spied the 39th monster leave the room. The weight on her heart lessened. The pain was fading.

"If you need me, yeah." his voice was shaky too, and she could see that he was- worried and afraid.

"I don't know." her voice was shrill. "I don't know."

* * *

It took a while, but as the 34th demon stood up on its scaly hind legs, she released her grip on her knees and leaned into Kid's open arms.

He wore a silky armless shirt and long pants. He grew his hair out longer, and she knew about his new brush- his hair was hard to comb. His eyes were a darker shade of gold tonight, and his breath smelled like paper and ink.

He was warm, and she was cold.

The room was empty.

And at long last, she closed her eyes.

* * *

 **I'm currently at 5k for chapter 8 of Into Madness.**  
 **Incase any of you were wondering. A lot has changed, and I stressed out a little since I wanted to change my story a little. I'll try my best to finish it well, but here's something in the meantime. I really am sorry.**

 **Again, R &R would be appreciated. (: **


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